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Sunday, 27 August 2017

LIFE LESSONS FROM NATURE

Although
we can discover life lessons through infinite avenues — in texts,
movies, the workplace, in our relationships and so much more — we can learn
amazingly valuable life lessons from nature, especially when we observe the
characteristics of flowers.

EMBRACE THE SUN (FOCUS ON THE GOOD) Flowers grow towards the
sun. They embrace the light that shines, which they depend upon for life. As
human beings, we too must focus on the light. The light of human life is
not physical brightness and sunshine, but the light that constitutes
illuminated virtues of goodness, generosity, happiness, moral
integrity and good will.

We
must always focus on the positive and good. Life is
difficult and, at many times and in many instances, certainly dark and
depressing. But without the darkness there could never be light. Like flowers,
we must always embrace the sun and focus upon the good, in spite of the
darkness that we are sure to endure.

Human emotion and feeling are genuinelycontagious. As human beings, our mental and emotional
well-being is influenced by the happiness or sadness of others around us.
As flowers embrace the sun, the lesson taught to us by nature is to always be
reminded of, to reflect upon, and to cherish the light that shines in
our lives. Without this integral focus on all that is good and positive in
life, our own happiness wanes and we cannot aptly be a source of light for
others; those who suffer in darkness and long to grow towards the sun.

BE THE WARMTH (NURTURE YOUR COMPASSION): Flowers need warmth to
awaken from the winter’s frost, to sprout and to grow to their fullest
potential. Human beings likewise need the warmth of humancompassion,
kindness and understanding to develop into their fullest, happiest and most
balanced states of being. Right from our birth, the compassion that is embodied
by our mothers and fathers is required for our very survival: without parents
to protect us and provide for us, human babies cannot survive.

Compassion nurtures
human happiness; it isn’t an emotional “bonus” that, if we’re lucky, we might
experience in our relationships — immediately from birth, compassion is an absolute necessity for our very survival. As
flowers need the warmth to grow, develop, and become whole, nature likewise
teaches us that nurturing the warmth of compassion is an unmistakable,
irreplaceable element of personal happiness, healthiness and lasting
relationships.

OPEN UP [NO MATTER WHAT’S INSIDE] Flowers bloom regardless of the looks of
their faces, no matter their true colors. Although the faces that flowers
display are physical and visual only, every human being owes it to
oneself to open up and fully embrace one’s uniqueness — to
accept, appreciate, and maximize who you are on the inside.

Every person is completely unique, both in
physical appearance and in personality. In order to live the happiest,
healthiest and fullest of lives, we owe it to ourselves to fully explore who we are: our interests, our
passions, our fears, our strengths, and our
weaknesses. Through opening up — no matter what is on the inside —
we can learn a vast amount about ourselves. By maximizing our strengths,
minimizing our weaknesses, and finally harnessing our interests and passions,
we give ourselves the greatest opportunity to be happy, balanced, and fulfilled
in life.
Doing so also allows us to provide happiness and balance to the men and women
around us whom we care about.

GROW TALL (IN SPITE OF THE FALL) Flowers grow to their highest height, in
spite of the fact that come winter, they shall wither and die. Flowers grow,
live, and thrive regardless
of their finiteness; their mortality. No different, we as human beings will all
encounter the inevitable.

In our society,
so much about our lives surrounds pursuits: pursuing dreams and goals, pursuing
careers, pursuing a soul mate and the perfect relationship, pursuing a family,
and so on. The pursuit-oriented nature of our lives places so much focus on the
end goal — the objective, the sought-after achievement of our pursuits. But what about the pursuit itself?

Each flower has a purpose. In spite of the
inevitability of their demise, they live because they can.
In our lives, there are many passions and interests and noble objectives to
pursue. As we seek out different achievements and successes, we must always
remember that we live because we both have purposeand
because we can.Grow strong
and stand tall. Become the best “you” that you can be. Embrace the life
lessons that natureprovides us:
bloom into your fullest and most vibrant of colors.